The Australian Civil-Military Centre (ACMC) and the Australian Council for International Development (ACFID) today launched Same Space, Different Mandates: A Civil-Military Guide to Australian Stakeholders in International Disaster and Conflict Response, at Parliament House, Tuesday, 11 September 2012.
Speaking at the launch, the Parliamentary Secretary for Defence, The Hon Mike Kelly AM, MP said Same Space, Different Mandates explained the different mandates and cultures of the various civil-military organisations who work in disaster and conflict zones.
“Same Space, Different Mandates provides an overview of the principles, operational styles and expectations of the key civil-military stakeholders who respond to international natural disasters and complex emergencies. It is a quick reference field guide as well as a foundational tool for training and educational purposes”, Dr Kelly said.
“The guide recognises that there are many diverse actors including military, police and civilian agencies, who often find themselves working in the same operational space, whether an international disaster response or a complex emergency.”
“Same Space, Different Mandates demonstrates that through open dialogue, discussion and communication, diverse civil-military stakeholders can effectively operate and work better—separately or together—in the same space and with different mandates.”
“Through materials like this and training, we can grow a generation of civilian and military personnel for whom operating together and understanding each other is second nature,” he said. The Hon Dr Meredith Burgmann, President of ACFID explained Same Space – Different Mandates is a great example of how Australian government, and non-government actors can develop mutual understanding and work better together to achieve improved responses to conflict and disasters overseas.
“When a disaster strikes, each actor has a different mandate. It is only by recognising and respecting these differences that we can all achieve the most efficient response, making greatest use of our comparative advantage,” Dr Burgmann said.
Same Space Different–Mandates is the result of a collaborative effort between the ACMC, ACFID, the Australian Defence Force, the Australian Federal Police, the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID), the Australian Red Cross, World VisionAustralia and OxfamAustralia.